Microsoft Introduces New Version of Windows Live Local — New capabilities include real-time traffic reporting, new ways to collect and share search results, tight integration with Microsoft Office Outlook and Windows Live Messenger, and geographic expansion to Canada and the U.K.

Morpheus makers file suit against eBay — StreamCast Networks, the creators of the Morpheus file-sharing software, is alleging in a lawsuit that auction house eBay is profiting from peer-to-peer technology that rightfully belongs to it. — StreamCast claims in a lawsuit filed Monday …

Apple partners with Nike on iPod for runners — Nike and Apple announced a partnership targeting runners and iPod users. Tune your run is a way to use the iPod to track data captured in the soles of new Nike running shoes. … Nike+ compatible running shoes range from US$85 (Air Max Moto+ …

Spam filter gobbles up phone bid for Cobb schools — There it was in the e-mail spam filter, along with offers to invigorate both your bank account and your sex life: an offer to save the Cobb County schools $250,000. But this message was for real. — School officials are blaming …

Imagining a day without Microsoft — If the company we love to hate disappeared tomorrow, we'd be in for still more headaches — Did you ever hear the warning, "be careful what you wish for, it might come true?" Well, because Microsoft is the company most people love to hate …

Plaxo gets hip to VoIP — Plaxo, the company that drove some people nuts with e-mail invitations to its service, is getting on the voice over Internet Protocol bandwagon. — On Tuesday, the Mountain View, Calif., company unveiled plans to move beyond the synchronized and centralized online address book …

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Politicos ponder patent system changes — WASHINGTON—In the wake of high-profile lawsuits involving BlackBerry and eBay, Congress is once again talking about fixing what the technology industry says is a thoroughly broken patent system. — While much of the U.S. Senate was occupied …

The Future of Music? — Ars profiles eMusic, the world's number 2 online music retailer. And they don't use digital rights management, choosing instead to sell their songs in unprotected MP3 format. Yes, you read that right: the world's #2 music download service doesn't use DRM technology.

Khosla Ventures Sponsors Carnival of the Mobilists — I'm really happy to announce that Khosla Ventures have agreed to sponsor the Carnival of the Mobilists from June 2006 until the end of the year, which will help us extend our presence and profile in the Blogosphere.

Web inventor warns of 'dark' net — BBC News science and technology reporter in Edinburgh — The web should remain neutral and resist attempts to fragment it into different services, web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has said. — Recent attempts in the US to try to charge for different levels …

Microsoft acquisitions and product strategies — The Microsoft VC Summit 2006 happened a week or two ago, but I've only just had a chance to review the posts that came out of it. If you're interested in where Microsoft is headed with its product range and general Web strategy, there are some nuggets in the coverage.

News.blog: Mac Mini is my most 'Vista Ready' PC — Last week, Microsoft released a test version of its 'Upgrade Advisor', a downloadable tool that aims to tell users how Vista-ready their system is. — I decided to run it on all the systems I had at my disposal and found some interesting results.

World's most expensive mobile number is 666 6666 — The world's most expensive phone number was auctioned for charity yesterday in Qatar. — The number, 666 6666, sold for 10m Qatari riyals or £1.5m. — The previous record holder was Chinese number 8888 8888, which sold for £270,000.